Being Human: Eve Of The War – Spoiler-Free Preview!

Being Human, BBC Three’s vampire/werewolf/ghost flatshare mess, is back this weekend for a glorious fourth series, with the biggest changes yet. Will it weather the storm? How does the new cast work?

And will I be able to write anything coherent under the crushing yoke of BBC spoiler embargos? Let’s find out!

Many British shows have undergone radical cast changes and carried on, but Being Human is pushing the envelope here. After killing off Mitchell the vampire last year, we already know that George the werewolf (the always-awesome Russell Tovey) won’t be with us long, and his girlfriend Nina has been written out between series.

Oh, and that villain they spent the last quarter of the series 3 finale introducing? Wyndham? Yeah, they’ve lost him off-screen too. At what point does this become careless?

To be honest, much of this episode is spent watching them re-arrange the show to account for the various actor losses. It has a few charming moments, and I do enjoy the glimpses we get of the new dynamic they are introducing. Although it’s hard to work out if the New Vampire is meant to as awkward as he’s being portrayed - I hope so.

Annie is still endearing yet useless, and Tom’s hard exterior/puppy dog vulnerability gives them a lot to work with, even if I’m a little bemused by this War storyline they’re now pushing. Then again, it can’t be any sillier than last year’s afterlifing.

So glimpses of potential here, even if the first episode itself is a bit like watching a supernatural corporate reshuffle. I’ll be back next week, of course. In the meantime, let us know your hopes and fears for all-new Being Human!